


lucky (we're in love in every way)

by carpisuns (maryssaj)



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien Agreste Is Sunshine, Adrien Agreste/Marinette Dupain-Cheng Fluff, Adrinette, Awkward Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Awkwardness, Basically just a bunch of self-indulgent reveal fluff lol, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Hot Mess Adrien Agreste, Hot Mess Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Humor, Identity Reveal, Ladrien | Adrien Agreste/Marinette Dupain-Cheng as Ladybug, LadyNoir - Freeform, Ladynoir | Adrien Agreste as Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng as Ladybug, Marinette Dupain-Cheng Finds Out First, Marinette Dupain-Cheng Knows, Miraculous Ladybug Love Square, Plagg Being Plagg (Miraculous Ladybug), Post-Reveal Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Protective Plagg (Miraculous Ladybug), Tooth-Rotting Fluff, adrienette - Freeform, ladrien, partial reveal, rated T for kissing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-13
Updated: 2020-02-13
Packaged: 2021-02-27 19:46:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,937
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22691230
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/maryssaj/pseuds/carpisuns
Summary: Chat Noir is Adrien, and Marinette is freaking out. If she manages to quiet her internal screaming, maybe she can also find the guts to tell him her identity too. And maybe they'll actually live happily ever after—well, as soon as Tikki and Plagg are done humiliating them.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 309
Kudos: 1751





	lucky (we're in love in every way)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Taliax](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Taliax/gifts).



> I was just really craving some Reveal Juice  
> dedicated to Taliax bc she write the most magical ML reveals in the world so she inspired me to write one (seriously pls read her fics you will Not regret)
> 
> Thank you to my sister marikittynoir for beta reading!
> 
> I commissioned 1alchemistart to do a scene—see it in the fic below :D and the amazing art at the bottom was done by @bugaboo-n-bananoir!
> 
> (P.S. The title is from "Lucky" by Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat)

Every muscle in Marinette’s body was frozen. She clutched her yo-yo so hard she thought she might break it. Her feet were glued to the rooftop, her jaw hanging open.

“Oops,” said Adrien.

 _Adrien_.

Was it really him? Was she dreaming? Was it just a trick of the light?

She blinked. It was still him, right down to the orange Agreste-brand sneakers. Plagg was hovering over his shoulder.

“Well, I guess the cat’s out of the bag now?” Adrien said sheepishly. He paused, then groaned and buried his face in his hands. “No. This wasn’t supposed to happen! I thought I had a few more seconds left before I transformed back!”

She struggled to find her voice. “Y-you’re Adrien?”

“Yeah.”

“Agreste?”

“Yes. I’m so sorry. I _promise_ I didn’t mean to.”

Strangely enough, it was the missed opportunity to say _paw-_ mise that jolted her out of her daze. All at once, the stiffness drained out of her body and left her weak kneed and trembling. “I, uh, I just memembered—remembered that … I gotta go … away. From here. Now. Bug about! I mean, bug out!”

She blindly threw out her yo-yo in a random direction and jumped away.

Somehow, she managed to get home, even though her mind was basically a YouTube scream compilation on repeat. She dropped through her skylight and sat on her bed, staring numbly at the photos of Adrien on her bulletin board. She didn’t even realize that she’d forgotten to call off her transformation until her suit dissolved away.

“Um, Marinette?” Tikki asked. “Are you okay?”

Marinette forced herself to tear her eyes away from Adrien’s ( _Chat Noir’s???_ ) face smiling at her from seventeen different angles. “TIKKI! Did what just happen. Really. Just. _Happen_?”

“Yes. It really did.”

She turned back to the photos. “So ... Chat Noir really is ...”

Tikki waited politely.

“... _Adrien?_ ”

“That’s right.”

Marinette buried her face in her pillow to muffle a scream. “Chat Noir is ... ADRIEN. _Adrien_ ... is Chat Noir? No. This can’t be right.” She peeked up at Tikki. “Is it?”

“Yep.”

Marinette opened and closed her mouth several times, but no sound came out.

“What’s the matter?” Tikki giggled. “Cat got your tongue?”

Marinette almost threw the pillow at her. “Tikki! I’m in _distress_ here!”

“Sorry.” (She did not look sorry at all.)

“Ugh, you’re as bad as Chat Noir!” Marinette froze, eyes wide. “Who is _Adrien_. Oh my gosh. Oh my _gosh_. Nope. Nooooo. Nonononono. I can’t do this. This is a _disaster_! How is this even possible? It’s not. Because I’ve _seen_ Adrien _with_ Chat. When we were fighting Gorizilla.”

Tikki tilted her head. “So … you’re going to disregard the fact that you saw Chat Noir detransform right in front of you … because you once saw someone who looked kind of like him from far away?”

“Yes? No. I mean, I _guess_ he was far away, so I couldn’t really be _100 percent totally sure_ it was him. But … it just doesn’t make sense!”

But the more Marinette thought about it, the more it _did_ make sense. How upset Chat seemed when she suggested that Gabriel Agreste might be Hawkmoth. How the only time Chat ever failed to show up for a fight was the time that Adrien was captured by Style Queen. How Chat was conspicuously absent while they were trying to fight Desperada … and only showed up again once Adrien had given up the snake miraculous.

“Adrien is Chat Noir,” she breathed.

“Yes,” Tikki said patiently.

“And you knew. This whole time, you knew!”

“I did.”

“And you didn’t _tell_ me?”

“I couldn’t! Your identities had to remain a secret.”

Marinette swallowed. “Don’t they still have to be a secret? What happens now? Does this … does this mean I have to choose someone else to be Chat Noir?”

Her stomach lurched at the thought. She couldn’t imagine anyone else as her partner. She didn’t _want_ to imagine anyone else.

“You’re the Guardian, Marinette. You make the rules now. Master Fu’s rule was that if you discovered each other’s identities, you’d have to give up your miraculous. But you can do it differently if you want to.”

“I … I can?” Marinette hugged the pillow to her chest. “But Master Fu made that rule because it’s dangerous to know each other’s identities. It’s ... safer to not know, right?”

“That’s true. But there are also advantages to knowing. Think of how much stronger your partnership could grow! And you and Adrien go to school together. You could cover each other. Help keep both of your identities safe. There wouldn’t have to be any more secrets between you.”

“No more secrets,” Marinette whispered. She’d wished that for such a long time, but now that it was time, she wasn’t sure she was ready. “Are you saying that I should tell him who I am too?”

Tikki flew up and put a paw on Marinette’s cheek. “It’s up to you. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to. And you don’t have to decide right away. Whatever you choose to do, I’m sure Adrien will understand.”

That night, long after Tikki had gone to sleep, Marinette lay awake in bed going over every second she could remember with Adrien and Chat Noir.

Adrien was the one who took all those hits for her. Who always had her back. The one she trusted more than practically anyone.

Chat Noir was the one who made her a lucky charm for her birthday and carried the one she gave him everywhere he went.

Adrien was the one she had kissed. _Twice._ (She blushed in the dark when she thought of that one.)

Chat Noir was the one she had gone to the movies with in disguise.

Adrien was the one who made terrible jokes that still made her laugh and once got his tail stuck in the railing of the Eiffel Tower.

Chat Noir was the famous fashion model who got perfect grades and played classical piano and spoke Chinese and studied fencing.

Adrien was the one who adorned a rooftop with candles and roses to tell her he loved her.

And Chat Noir … he was the boy who gave her the umbrella that day in the rain. The boy she fell in love with.

Her breath caught in her throat at the thought. She released it, slow and soft, while something impossibly lovely and warm grew bigger and bigger inside her chest.

“I love Chat Noir,” she whispered to the darkness. It didn’t feel nearly as strange as she thought it would. In fact, it felt almost natural.

Because although she’d never allowed herself to admit it—not to Tikki and hardly even to herself—she’d been falling for her kitty for a long time. She wasn’t sure of the day or the hour or the minute or the second when he finally managed to sneak into her heart. But somewhere along the way, she had fallen in love with her partner.

Still, there were too many secrets between them—too many barriers, too much to hide. And of course, whatever she felt for Chat, she still loved Adrien (so _hopelessly_ , _desperately_ she loved him). She could never explore the possibility of letting herself love Chat.

But now. _Now_. She could love him. Freely, madly, deeply, with no guilt or reservations. She could have both of him. All of him. The lovely warm feeling was so strong now that she could barely hold it in. She almost laughed from sheer delight.

So this is what it was like to freely let herself feel. To finally stop trying to dampen the beating of her own heart.

She loved Adrien, who was _Chat Noir_ , who loved _Ladybug_ , who was _her_.

She grinned into her pillow. Maybe this wasn’t such a disaster after all.

* * *

By the time Marinette got to school the next morning, she had decided once again that it _was_ a disaster. Because the second she saw Adrien in the hallway, her fight-or-flight instincts kicked in, and she nearly ended up punching him in the nose.

“Whoa,” he said as he dodged her flailing fist. “You okay, Marinette? You seem a bit jumpy.”

“Yep! Super duper!” she squeaked. “Just a spar masm. Arm spasm. You know. Hahaha. Ha.”

 _Maybe it would help to picture him as Chat Noir_ , she thought. After all, she was never nervous around Chat, whether she was suited up or not. Because Chat Noir was just a big goofball.

(An adorable goofball. Who she was in love with. And had been for a while.)

((A goofball who was currently looking down at her with those big green eyes and a big, soft smile that was making her melt into a puddle on the spot.))

((( _GET A GRIP, LADYBUG!!!_ )))

“Well, see ya!” Marinette said, way too loudly. She shoved past Adrien and practically ran all the way to Miss Bustier’s class. She slid into place next to Alya, panting, and stood her backpack up on her desk to form a shield between her and Adrien when he came in. This proved to be ineffective, however, because it did _not_ keep Adrien ( _CHAT NOIR_ ) from smiling and waving at her (and turning her body into gelatin) and it did _not_ keep her from staring at the back of his head for the entire class period.

It was always hard for Marinette to concentrate in Miss Bustier’s class with Adrien sitting right in front of her.

It was downright _impossible_ for her to concentrate with _Chat Noir_ sitting right in front of her.

She couldn’t help but imagine cat ears on top of his head. If his hair weren’t so carefully combed and styled, would it look like Chat’s hair? Is that what it looked like when he woke up in the morning?

They were supposed to be learning interesting facts about France, but the only piece of information she absorbed during the whole hour was that France has 1,200 varieties of cheese, because _Adrien_ was the one who said it and _holy cow, it was Chat’s voice_ and _how on earth_ had she never realized that before?

And as if that wasn’t enough confirmation, Adrien leaned over to Nino and whispered, “Are you okay? I _camembert_ to see you like this.”

“Dude, your jokes are _so bad_.”

“Don’t brie ridiculous. They may be a little cheesy, but they’re still grate.”

Marinette giggled despite herself, and Adrien flashed her a grin that looked so much like Chat’s that she nearly fell out of her seat.

“Girl,” Alya hissed, “is it just me, or are you even _worse_ than usual today?”

Marinette pressed her hands to her burning cheeks.

_Oh no. Oh no oh no oh no._

_Disaster._

* * *

After school, Marinette paced around and around her bedroom.

“Should I message him?” she asked Tikki. “I don’t think I’m ready to see him again. I need another day. Or … a week. Or maybe a year. I don’t know.”

Tikki swallowed a bite of macaron. “You can’t put this off forever, Marinette. You’re going to have to talk to him, sooner or later. And I think it will be much better for both of you if it’s sooner.”

“You think?” Marinette bit her lip and glanced at her phone. Chat— _Adrien_ —still hadn’t messaged her. It really didn’t seem like him to be so radio silent, especially in a situation like this. Then again, _she_ also hadn’t messaged _him_ , and maybe he was just respecting her space and giving her time to process and decide what to do next.

It was the kind of thing Adrien would do.

(It was the kind of thing Chat would do too.)

With a sigh, she picked up the phone and opened the messaging app.

_LB: you still on for patrol tonight?_

Her thumb hovered over the send button.

“You can do it!” Tikki said.

She pressed send and couldn’t help but let out a little shriek.

For the next four minutes, she chewed on her nails and ignored the physics textbook spread open on her desk.

“What’s taking him so long?” she burst out.

But before Tikki could answer, her phone chimed.

 _CN:_ _Yes—if you’re okay with it, of course. I understand if you need more time._

She could tell how seriously he was taking it by the perfect grammar and the conspicuous lack of puns, cat emojis, and nicknames.

He was texting like Adrien, she realized. She wasn’t sure if that made it better or worse.

_LB: i’m fine. we have a lot to talk about_

_LB: meet me tonight. usual time, usual spot_

_CN: Okay. See you there._

Marinette chewed on the inside of her lip.

She hoped she wasn’t making a horrible mistake.

* * *

He was already there when she arrived, swinging his legs over the side of the roof and softly singing that little song he made up. Little kitty on a roof. Alone without his lady.

(Would she still be his lady when he knew she had almost punched him in the face today?)

His cat ears twitched when she landed. He stopped singing.

“Hey, kitty,” she said, just like she did at every patrol. But she was never calling Adrien that before; it was just Chat. And it was _still_ just Chat. Right?

She bit her lip as she sat next to him. She could feel him looking at her, but she wasn’t sure she was brave enough to look him in the eyes yet. All the things she had planned to say had fallen out of her head on the way over.

_OhmygoshohmygoshohmyGOSH what do I say? Where do I even start? “Hey, just FYI, I’ve been madly in love with you since the day we met but have just been too much of a chicken to tell you.” “Yo, I’m sorry that I rejected you and broke your heart a hundred times, but we’re cool now, right?” “Remember that time Marinette asked you to get her constipation medicine? Surprise! That was me. I’m Constipation Girl and that was my attempt at declaring my love for you. Hahahaha! Cute, right?”_

Before Marinette could summon a lucky charm that would hopefully provide a hole for her to crawl away and die in, Chat cleared his throat.

“So,” he said.

“So.”

“You know who I am.”

“Y-yeah. I do.”

He didn’t meet her eyes. His gaze was fixed on a point far in the distance. “I guess it’s time, then, huh?”

“For what?”

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

“Claws in,” he whispered.

And in a flash of green light, Chat was gone. Adrien sat in his place with Plagg hovering by his ear.

Even though she’d seen him detransform just 24 hours before, it still almost gave her a heart attack. But she was even more alarmed when Adrien slipped the miraculous from his finger and held it out to her. The silver glinted dully on his outstretched palm.

“Uh …” she began, but before she could say anything else, a dark blur snatched the ring away.

“I don’t care about the rules!” Plagg said. “There is no way I’m letting you take me away from my kid. He made _one_ mistake. It was bound to happen. Frankly, I’m surprised you even lasted this long!”

“Plagg, don’t,” Adrien said. “We talked about this.”

“No, listen! He may be kind of clueless and disturbingly anti-cheese, but he’s a good kid, and he’s a good Chat Noir. The best I’ve ever had. And if you take him away from me, I’ll—I’ll make you regret it. I have a cataclysm and I’m not afraid to use it.”

“Plagg!”

Marinette waved her hands. “No, no, I’m not taking him away from you. He can keep his miraculous.”

“Really?” Adrien looked hopeful, but then his brows crinkled. “But ... my identity was exposed. I can’t be Chat Noir anymore. That’s the rule. Right?”

“That was Master Fu’s rule. But … I’m the guardian now, and I have the final say. And I say that … that …” She finally mustered the courage to look into his eyes. “That you’re my partner, no matter what. And I could never pick someone to replace you. Because you’re irreplaceable, Chat—ah, Adrien.”

His eyes widened, and his mouth fell slightly open.

Marinette gently pushed his fingers closed around the ring. “You’re really important to me,” she said, her voice hushed. “And you’re the only one I would want to be my partner.”

Adrien’s expression softened. “Thank you. I—I’m so relieved. I thought you were mad at me for being so careless. And I thought that maybe I deserved to have my miraculous taken away. Because I wasn’t responsible enough.”

“No! It was an accident. It could’ve happened to either of us. We’ve both had close calls in the past.”

Adrien looked down at his sneakers. “I know I act a bit too casual sometimes. But I promise that I’ve always taken this job seriously. I’d do _anything_ to protect Paris.” He looked back up at her. “And you most of all, milady.”

A soft gasp escaped her. As many times as she’d heard Chat Noir call her “milady,” she’d never heard _Adrien Agreste_ call her that. Especially not with _that look_ on his face. Like she was the one who pulled the sun into the sky every morning.

His eyes were so soft and human. So different than Chat’s catlike ones. But at the same time, they weren’t different at all. She’d seen that look in them a thousand times. And it had always made something inside her flicker.

And now she knew exactly what it was.

“Are you disappointed?” Adrien asked softly. “That I’m … well, me?”

“No!” she said quickly. “What would even make you think that?”

“Well … you didn’t exactly take the news well yesterday. You didn’t even say anything. You just … left. And you seemed pretty upset.”

“Oh. Right.” Marinette pulled idly at her yo-yo string. “Well, I just needed some time. To process. But … I’m happy it’s you.”

“You are?”

“Yeah.”

He smiled. “I’m glad.”

For a moment, they sat in silence. Then Adrien finally asked the question that had been burning between them for the last day.

“So … what now?”

Marinette knew what that meant. It meant “Are You Going To Tell Me Who You Are Or Not, You Coward?” (Except Adrien was too polite to say it that way.)

She cleared her throat, wishing Tikki were there to whisper something motivating in her ear. “Now, uh, it’s my turn. To tell you … me. Who me. _I_! Who I am, that is.”

“Really?” Adrien turned to her eagerly.

Her throat was dry. She swallowed. “It only seems fair, right?”

“Yeah! I mean, only if you’re okay with it, of course. I wasn’t going to ask. But … I really want to know. Obviously.”

“Okay,” Marinette said.

Adrien waited.

(And waited.)

“Is something wrong?” he asked.

“I—I can’t do it here. Out in the open. Someone might see. Someone could’ve seen _you_.” She stood up, her legs trembling. “We have to go somewhere else.”

Adrien stood up too. “Where?”

“Ah—I don’t know!” She bit her lip. “What public place do you go to have some privacy?”

At that, she blushed. _Privacy?_ She was making it sound like she had to find a closet where she could secretly make out with him.

( _Was_ there a closet where she could secretly make out with him?)

(( _GET A GRIP, LADYBUG!!!_ ))

“Uh … the sewer, maybe?” Adrien suggested. “I know that’s not really ideal, but I doubt we’d have to worry about anyone seeing us down there.”

“Yeah. Yeah! Great idea. Let’s go.” She grabbed her yo-yo from her hip before she could psych herself out of it.

Plagg groaned. “Does this mean we have to transform again? I was just digging into a nice wedge of Camembert.”

“Plagg!” Adrien hissed. “Stop whining. This is _kind of important_? Besides, you’re always eating.”

Marinette fidgeted with the yo-yo. “Well, I suppose I could give you a lift? I mean, if that’s okay with you.”

“Sure,” Adrien said. “Come on, Plagg.” He opened his jacket, and Plagg and his slice of cheese disappeared inside.

He stepped close to Marinette. And then even closer.

_So close._

Marinette wrapped an arm around his waist. She knew her face must be as red as her suit, and she hoped that without his night vision he couldn’t tell.

“O-okay. Hold on.”

She tossed her yo-yo out, and then they were flying.

It took all of her concentration to navigate because Adrien’s cheek was so close to hers that she could feel its heat. (Was he blushing too? Did she have the power to make him blush??)

But a few seconds later, they landed safely on the ground. Marinette ducked into an alley, gesturing for Adrien to follow, and lifted the manhole cover.

“After you, milady,” he said.

She climbed down, trying not to lose her grip on the ladder with how much her hands were shaking. She couldn’t put this off any longer. In just a few minutes, he would know. There would be no more secrets.

Adrien hopped down from the ladder with a soft _thump_.

“There should be a locker room somewhere this way.” He pointed down the tunnel. “The one we found when we were hiding from Desperada, remember?”

“Oh.” Her stomach dropped at the memory. “I’m sorry. It must be awful for you to be down here again. After all that happened.”

Adrien turned back with a smile. “Nothing could be awful while I’m with you.”

He led her down the tunnel. Their steps echoed against the walls in time with her heartbeat. Far too soon, they had arrived at the locker room. Plagg flitted out of hiding as Adrien closed the door behind him. He turned to her expectantly.

Marinette stared back at him. There was that You-Are-My-Only-Reason-For-Living look again, turning her into a pile of goo. Her knees trembled. She took a breath.

“Are you okay?” Adrien asked. “Why are you so nervous? It’s … it’s just me, right?”

Marinette let out a shaky laugh. “Right. _Just_ you.”

Adrien frowned. “I don’t understand.”

“Just—it doesn’t matter. Could you maybe … could you transform back for this? I think that will make it easier for me. Wait, no. That’s stupid. Don’t do that. I need to just … do it. I need to just show—show you. My … face. Identity. _Ahhhh_ the longer I put it off the more I’m building it up and you’re going to think I’m someone way cooler than I am! Like, I don’t know, Clara Nightingale or something! Well, obviously I couldn’t be her, because she’s been akumatized. But you’ll probably think I’m—”

“Hey. What’s going on?” Adrien put a gentle hand on her shoulder.

She looked into his eyes, and something in them pulled her heart right into her throat. Before she had time to think, the words were spilling out of her mouth.

“What’s going on is that I’m madly in love with you.”

She froze, sucking in a breath. _She’d said it._ After all this time, she’d said it. Not exactly the way she had planned—suited up, in a sewer, with Plagg snickering in the corner—but she’d said it.

Adrien blinked. “You love me?”

She nodded slowly, her face burning beneath the mask.

Adrien’s shock melted into a smile. Not one of those shy, soft model smiles. It was the biggest, brightest smile she’d ever seen on him. A smile that transformed his whole face and almost made him look like a different person.

“You’re in love with _me_?” he asked again. “As in, Adrien?”

All her breath released in a huff. “Yes, _you_. Adrien. I’ve been in love with you since the day we met. And, if I’m being honest ... I may also have developed feelings for … Chat. Maybe. Okay, definitely. I’ve been in love with both of you. All of you, I guess. For a long time now.”

Adrien’s grin twisted into a Chat-like smirk. “Why, buggaboo, are you saying that you fell for me _twice_?”

“Yeah, I guess I am.”

He stepped closer, his expression softening as all the Chat Noir swagger seeped away. “Then let me do the same. Let me fall for you all over again.” He lifted her chin gently, forcing her to meet his eyes.

“But what if you already had the chance,” she dared to whisper, “and you didn’t love me back?”

“You’re … someone I already know?”

She swallowed. “Yeah. Someone you … don’t love.”

“I’d like to be the judge of that, if it’s okay with you.”

“I’m ... just a friend.” She mustered a weak smile.

A strange look crossed his face. “If you’re worried I’ll be disappointed, I promise, I could never be disappointed in you.”

“No, no, it’s not that. Not really. It would—I just … ah, I don’t know …”

He touched the end of the red ribbon in her hair. “It’s okay if you’re not ready to tell me. I understand.”

“R-really?”

“I’ve waited for you this long. I can wait longer. I’d wait a lifetime for you, milady.”

He pressed a kiss to her cheek. Her skin tingled where his lips had touched.

“And I promise,” he breathed into her ear, “that whoever you are under that mask, I _do_ love you. Even if I didn’t know it before.”

He pulled back, leaving Marinette’s head spinning.

“We can do this another time, okay? Whenever you’re ready. Let’s go, Plagg.”

“Wait.”

Adrien paused.

Marinette’s hands clenched into fists at her sides. “I just—I have to warn you. I’m not nearly as perfect as you seem to think I am. When I’m Ladybug, I can do anything. But normally, I’m … sort of a disaster, honestly. I’m awkward. I’m clumsy. I’m always late. I say the wrong things. I can never even get a coherent sentence out around you. I mean, I’m still Ladybug because I’m always me, but I’m also different, you know? I—I know you like me, well, _me_ me, as a friend, but I act so weird around you that you probably think I’m crazy. I’d—I’d like to believe I’m someone you could love, but—”

“You are. Trust me. Please.”

He was gazing at her so earnestly now that it was impossible to say no.

Of course she trusted him. She always would.

Marinette squeezed her eyes shut. Took a deep breath.

“Spots off.”

The familiar tingle of magic ran up her body as the transformation lifted. She opened her eyes.

Adrien was staring at her, his mouth hanging slightly open. For a handful of seconds, neither of them moved.

Then, something shifted in Adrien’s expression—a spark of resolution. He rushed toward her, and in an instant his hands were cupping both sides of her face, and his lips were on hers.

After being Ladybug for so long, Marinette was used to the feeling of magic flowing through her.

But it was nothing compared to kissing Adrien Agreste.

She felt like every atom in her body was thrumming with the power of it, like she was wearing every miraculous at once without the side effects. She felt like she could do anything—lift a car, scale the Eiffel Tower, leap over the Seine, sock Hawkmoth in the mouth so hard that his face caved in.

But she didn’t want to do any of that right now. She only wanted to feel Adrien on her lips.

His hands on her cheeks were warm and soft. His lips were even softer. They pressed against hers first gently, then firmly. She melted into the kiss, but before she had a chance to really answer, Adrien had pulled away.

“S-sorry,” he gasped. “I shouldn’t have done that. Is—was that okay? I should have asked first. I’m sorry; I just wasn’t thinking. I couldn’t think because … because it’s you.” His face softened in awe. “You have no idea how long I’ve been wanting to do that.”

Her cheeks were still flaming from his touch. The taste of his cherry lip balm lingered on her lips.

“I think I do,” she said. “You’ve been telling me you love Ladybug since the start.”

“I’m not talking about Ladybug.” He grabbed her hand. “I’m talking about _you_. Marinette. Yes, I always loved Ladybug, from the very beginning. But I fell for Marinette a long time ago.”

“Y-you did?” she breathed.

He grinned—all Chat and all Adrien, rolled up into one. “Of course I did. How could I not, when you were the most _purrrrfect_ girl I knew? Well, one of them. The other one being Ladybug. Who just so happens to be _you_.”

He kissed her nose and laughed when she scrunched it up.

“I know I said before that I’d love you no matter who you turned out to be. But I was lying. I couldn’t love you if you were Chloé. Or Lila.” He made a face. “I thought you would be a stranger, and I would learn to love you both ways. But I didn’t have to learn. Because it was you, and I already loved you.”

Her heart thumped against her ribcage. _He loved me. He_ loves _me. Both of me. All of me._

The look on Adrien’s face could have been used for his perfume ad. Pure bliss. Like he was walking on air.

He ran his hands down his face, grinning so wide she thought it might break. “Marinette, I am so completely, ridiculously, _deliriously_ happy. I can’t believe this is real! I can’t believe I actually got _this_ lucky. I mean, it’s _you_. It’s you, it’s you, it’s you!” He picked her up and twirled her in a circle.

Marinette giggled. “It’s me!”

He set her down gently. His hands were still on her waist. Hers were on his shoulders. Their faces were close, so close, close enough for her to feel the warmth of his breath fanning across her skin. His eyes were wide and brilliant green, his cheeks rosy, his lips slightly parted.

She found herself inching to close the gap between them, pulled like a magnet, like gravity. Adrien leaned in, tilting his head, while her eyes slipped closed.

The first kiss had come suddenly and was over in a matter of seconds. Marinette wasn’t about to let this one slip away too soon. She came back for seconds, thirds, fourths, fifths, and Adrien seemed just as greedy. Her lips were his, his lips were hers, and they collided softly again and again.

Her fingers slid up his neck to tangle in his hair. She felt him shudder under her touch and what little space was left in her brain filled with the giddy recognition that _she had done that_.

Her head was swimming, drowning in him, and she never wanted to come up for breath. She was drunk on Adrien—on his kisses, on his breaths, on the exquisite ache in her heart that threatened to make her crumble under his gentle touch.

At last, when neither of them had any air left in their lungs, they broke apart.

“Ugh, _finally!_ ” came a voice from the corner.

Marinette jumped out of Adrien’s arms, whipping her head around. She’d completely forgotten about the kwamis.

“Shhh. Can’t you see they’re having a moment?” Tikki said.

“If that’s what you call a moment! Felt more like a billion years if you ask me. And I’m an immortal being. I would know!”

“Plagg, stop that!” Tikki shook her head. “I’m sorry, Marinette.”

“Uh.” Marinette glanced at Adrien. His cheeks were flushed and his hair was tousled. She giggled. There was her kitty.

“Blegh. At least it’s over now,” Plagg said. “But wait … _oh no._ This is going to be a regular thing now, isn’t it?”

“Um, well, I hope so.” Adrien caught Marinette’s eye and grinned, making her blush even deeper.

“You know, hearing you fawn over Ladybug and Marinette separately was bad enough,” Plagg said. “But I have a feeling it will be even _worse_ now that you know they’re the same person.”

Adrien was beaming. “She’s amazing, isn’t she?”

“Yeah, yeah. I’ve heard it all before.” Plagg pretended to swoon. “‘Oh, Plagg, isn’t Ladybug the most incredible girl in the world? She’ll love me someday. You’ll see.’ ‘Plagg, look at this bead thingie my _very good friend_ Marinette gave me! I carry it around everywhere because I’m a huge sap!’ ‘Plagg, is it normal to want to kiss a girl who’s just a friend?’”

“Okay,” Adrien said loudly. “I think we get it now.”

“‘Oh no! Plagg, how can I be in love with _two_ girls? I’m being unfaithful to Ladybug! She’s the love of my life!’ ‘Oh, Plagg, why would Marinette even want to be with me? She’s way out of my league!’ _Ugh!_ You sound like a lovesick kitten. Just remembering it is enough to make me lose my appetite.”

Adrien’s face was bright red. “Okay, well at least that last part is a lie. I’ve never, ever seen you lose your appetite.”

“Did you ... did you really think I was ... out of your league?” Marinette asked timidly.

Adrien turned to her. “Of course I did! You’re the most amazing person I know. You’re Ladybug without the spots! Oh my gosh. _And_ Ladybug _with_ the spots. Wow. I’d say it would be hard to get used to, but it just makes sense, you know? That Ladybug without the spots would be someone just like you.”

His smile was impossibly, mind-meltingly soft. Marinette would’ve kissed him again right then and there if Plagg didn’t let out another groan.

“Tikki, can we switch holders? Just for a week or two? Adrien’s going to be so sickeningly moony over Marinette. I need a break.”

“I think it’s sweet,” Tikki said. “And trust me, Marinette won’t be any different.”

“You don’t get it. Adrien is the sappiest sap in the history of saps. He’s practically obsessed with her! He has a whole album of Ladybug photos on his phone.”

“And Marinette has one just like it on her phone.”

“Yeah? Well, Adrien also prints them out and keeps a secret stash inside one of his fencing trophies.”

“You’ve seen Marinette’s room. Her walls are plastered with pictures of Adrien.”

“Sometimes he kisses them goodnight.”

“She _always_ kisses them goodnight.”

Marinette felt like flames were crawling up her face. She turned to Adrien to stutter an explanation, but he was blushing and stammering just as hard as she was. Plagg shouted over them both.

“Adrien wrote a sappy poem for her on Valentine’s Day!”

“Marinette dug it out of the trash and answered it!”

“Oh, really? That was actually her? Ha! Well … Adrien owns nine pairs of Ladybug pajamas.”

Tikki hesitated, glancing at Marinette.

“Well?” Plagg prompted.

She straightened in determination. “Marinette has watched his perfume ad so many times that she mutters it in her sleep.”

“ _Tikki!_ ” Marinette hissed.

Adrien cleared his throat. “Uh, is this a contest to see which of us you can embarrass more?”

“If it is, I’m winning,” Plagg said smugly. “I haven’t even told you about the _dolls_ that he—”

“HAHAHA.” Adrien snatched Plagg out of the air. “That’s so funny. You’re right, I am _very_ embarrassed and that’s—“

“Dolls?” Marinette asked.

“Yeah!” Plagg wriggled out of Adrien's grasp. “He’s got Chat Noir and Ladybug dolls that he plays with. And sometimes he makes them _kiss_.”

Adrien’s face was as pink as Marinette’s pants.

“That’s nothing,” Tikki said. “Marinette bakes a single passionfruit macaron for Adrien every Sunday just in case she ever gets to give it to him.”

“Adrien has written up, like, twenty-two versions of his wedding vows.”

“Marinette has assembled an entire wedding planner, and she’s working on the design of the suit Adrien will wear.”

“Adrien cried the other day when a ladybug landed on his finger.”

“Marinette has already made gifts for Adrien’s next fifty birthdays.”

Plagg’s eyes narrowed. “Okay, we may be even here. Let’s switch it up. Chat Noir and Marinette. Go!”

“Marinette doodles Chat Noir _all_ the time. She must have an entire notebook filled with sketches of him.”

“Pffft. Weak. Did I mention how he carries that charm thing literally _everywhere_? I swear that he even takes it into the shower with him.”

“That’s not true!” Adrien protested.

Tikki flitted closer to Plagg. “One time I caught Marinette googling cat puns just so she could try to surprise Chat with one he hadn’t heard.”

“Adrien used to protest when I called Marinette his girlfriend but he stopped doing that a long time ago because he secretly likes hearing it.”

“Marinette kept the rose he gave her on the rooftop. She dried it out and she keeps it in a secret box under her bed. _And_ she did the same thing with the one he brought her when he came for brunch.”

“Adrien has notifications on for Marinette’s Instagram. And he goes through her photos all the time and just sits there smiling at his phone like a starry-eyed doofus.”

“Marinette writes about Chat Noir in her diary a _lot_. Almost as much as she writes about Adrien. And let me tell you, it was _so obvious_ that she was in love with him. She never told me, but I knew.”

“Tikki! You’ve been reading my diary?” Marinette asked in horror.

Tikki shrugged. “I get bored sometimes when you’re designing. Besides, I’m with you practically every minute of the day. It’s not like you have secrets from me. Except your _super secret_ crush on Chat Noir. Which, like I said, was never a secret.”

“Pfft,” said Plagg. “Diaries? Child’s play. Face it, Tikki; you have _nothing_. I win.”

“Hey! I thought those were pretty good.”

“Not compared to what _I’ve_ got. I’ve been saving the best for last.”

Tikki clicked her tongue. “Let’s hear it, then.”

Plagg cleared his throat. “I once caught Adrien practicing a new autograph for his signings.” He grinned wickedly. “As Adrien _Dupain-Cheng_.”

Marinette froze. She glanced at Adrien, who looked like he’d just seen Hawkmoth in his underwear.

Art by [1alchemistart](https://www.instagram.com/p/CEDNWdFFV9g/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link)

“Is … is that true?” she asked.

Adrien rubbed the back of his neck. “Uh … yeah ...”

Marinette nearly fainted on the spot. If he got down on one knee and proposed to her right there in the sewer, she would’ve said yes.

It was definitely time to update her hypothetical wedding planner. (Which seemed a lot less hypothetical now.)

“So, Tikki, are you finally going to admit defeat?” Plagg said lazily, lounging on air.

“Absolutely not!” Tikki sniffed. “But how about a truce?”

“A truce? I don’t do truces, sugarcube.”

“Come on. Adrien and Marinette are _equally_ in love.”

Adrien leaned over and whispered while Plagg and Tikki kept arguing. “So, um … do you still like me? Now that you know what an obsessed weirdo I am?”

Marinette laughed. “You heard everything Tikki said, right?”

“Yep. But Plagg definitely wins.”

“Oh, really? And why is that?”

“Because I definitely love you more.”

Marinette blinked. Adrien was grinning widely and leaning down so that his face was close to hers.

“Adrien Agreste,” she said, “that is _ridiculous_. Utterly _ridiculous_.”

And then she pulled him down by the jacket collar and kissed him.

“Ugh, not _again_!” Plagg groaned.

“Shut up and eat your cheese,” Adrien murmured against her lips. “We’re busy.”

(And they were busy for quite a while.)

* * *

At 7 AM the next morning, Marinette’s phone alarm went off. But for once in her life, she was already awake. (Because how could she possibly _sleep_? Knowing that Adrien was Chat and Chat was Adrien and he was hers and she was his?)

With almost giddy anticipation, she got ready for school. There must have been something wrong with her face because she couldn’t stop smiling, even while she was brushing her teeth. Her phone double-chimed, and she dove for it, smearing toothpaste on the counter.

 _Adrien: Good morning, milady_ ❤️

_Chat: I love you, buggaboo :3_

_Chat: idk which thread to use haha_

She typed her reply while Tikki read over her shoulder.

 _LB: I don’t mind hearing it twice_ 😌

 _Marinette: Love you too, kitty_ 💕

“You seem so happy!” Tikki said.

Marinette spit out her toothpaste. “I _am_ so happy. This … this is the most perfect thing that’s ever happened to me! I can hardly believe it!”

“I’m so glad, Marinette.” Tikki smiled. “I knew it would work out like this some day. You two were made for each other!”

Marinette looked at Tikki in the mirror. “So … you’re not annoyed with me? For being … what did Plagg say … sickeningly moony?”

Tikki laughed. “Well, you can be a bit hard to handle sometimes, but all I want is to see you happy! I’m really glad we don’t have to have any more secrets. And I’m really glad you and Adrien are together. Besides, I don’t think Plagg is nearly as frustrated as he pretends to be. He loves Adrien a lot and he wants him to be happy too. And he’ll never admit this, but he’s kind of a romantic himself. He was rooting for you two from the start. We both were.”

Marinette snuggled Tikki against her cheek. “Looks like you were my lucky charm all along. Thanks, Tikki.”

* * *

When Marinette arrived at school (on time, for once), Adrien’s car was just pulling up. She waited for him at the curb while he waved goodbye to his bodyguard. Then he held out a hand. He was wearing his lucky charm bracelet, the green and pink beads bright against his skin.

“Shall we, milady?” he murmured, for her ears only.

She smiled, cheeks warming, and they walked hand in hand up the stairs.

It only took a few minutes for the whispers to start.

“Oh my gosh, is that _Marinette_?”

“I didn’t even know they were dating! How long has it been going on?”

“ADRIKINS! DON’T TELL ME YOU’RE WITH _DUPAIN-CHENG_!”

By the time they made it to Miss Bustier’s class (with Chloé hot on their heels), it seemed like the entire school knew.

“Alright!” Kim said, grinning, while Rose cheered from the back row.

Adrien led Marinette to her seat and kissed her hand before he took his seat by Nino.

“Dude!” Nino gave him a fistbump. “Congrats! I was wondering when you were finally gonna ask her out.”

Alya was being strangely quiet, Marinette noted. She turned to see Alya frozen with her mouth hanging open, her eyes darting between Marinette and Adrien.

Marinette had to laugh. She’d never seen Alya at a loss for words before. “Morning, Al.”

“You—” Alya spluttered. “How—what? _When?_ ”

“Last night.”

“ _Girl!_ ” Alya screeched. She tackled Marinette in a hug. “I can’t believe it finally happened! Do you _know_ how long I’ve been waiting for this?”

“Just about as long as I have! Thanks for always being there for me.”

“Obviously. You know there’s nothing I’d rather see than my BFF happy with the guy she loves. Speaking of which …” She leaned down and tapped Nino on the shoulder. “You owe me thirty Euros, bud.”

“Aw. I was hoping you’d forget.” Nino took out his wallet and pulled out a bill.

“Wait, what’s this about?” asked Adrien.

Alya smiled smugly as she snatched the cash from Nino’s hand. “Nino and I had a bet about whether you would finally ask out Marinette. I said you would end up together before Christmas. I knew you’d eventually come to your senses.”

“And I said, ‘No way! My best bro clearly loves Marinette, but he’s way too oblivious! He won’t figure it out for at least another year. And maybe never, without a good push in the right direction.’”

Adrien laughed. “Well, that’s fair, I guess. It did take me a while. Sorry that I made you lose the bet.”

“Don’t worry. I’m going to win it right back.” Nino grinned. “We also have a bet about whether Ladybug and Chat Noir will get together.”

“And I’ve already told you that Ladybug is _not_ interested!” Alya said. “I’ve heard it straight from the source multiple times.”

“Yeah, that’s what she _says_. But how she _acts_ tells a whole different story.”

“Really? You’re going to argue with the foremost Ladybug authority?”

“Look, all I know is that Ladybug looks at Chat Noir the exact same way that my man Adrien looked at Marinette for all this time.”

“What do you think, Marinette?” Adrien asked with a twisted grin. “Will Ladybug and Chat Noir get together?”

“Hmm.” Marinette tapped her chin thoughtfully. “You know, I think the chances are pretty good, actually.”

“Well, you’re _all_ wrong,” Alya said.

Marinette caught Adrien’s eye and grinned.

* * *

The sun had set by the time Marinette’s phone had stopped buzzing with texts from Alya. She lay on her bed, reading through her diary, while Tikki nestled beside her on the pillow.

“You know, you were right,” Marinette said as she turned a page. “Looking back, I can definitely see how obvious my crush on Chat was. I can’t believe it took me so long to admit.”

“Well, you were in love with Adrien,” Tikki said. “You didn’t want to admit it.”

“It’s funny, isn’t it? That he was Adrien all along.”

“That’s one word for it.”

_Thunk._

“What was that?” Marinette looked up. A pair of bright green eyes behind a black mask stared down at her through her skylight. She stood and opened it.

“Adrien? What are you doing here?”

“I couldn’t stop thinking about you. I had to see you.” He offered a single pink rose. “For you, milady.”

Marinette took it and raised it to her nose to hide her blush.

Tikki flitted up beside her. “I don’t think you need to bother drying that one. I have a feeling there will be many more.”

“She’s right,” Adrien said. In one fluid motion, he pulled her through the skylight and into his arms, where he held her tightly against his chest.

Marinette closed her eyes and listened to his heartbeat, feeling his arms warm and strong around her.

“You know I love you, right?” he whispered into her hair.

“Yeah.”

“Good. Just wanted to make sure you didn’t forget.”

She tipped her head up. “I love you too. Lots and lots. Buckets full.”

He laughed. “You know, it’s really not fair of you to be so adorable all the time.”

“Sorry. I’ll try not to be.”

“Impossible. And don’t you dare try.” He peppered her with light kisses, on her forehead and over her cheeks and across the bridge of her nose.

She giggled. “You’re an affectionate kitty, huh?”

“A clingy one, probably.” He drew back from her face to look her in the eyes. “You know, it’s a beautiful night. Would you, uh, care to join me for a patrol?”

“I’d love to.” Marinette untangled herself from his arms and placed the rose on the table. “Tikki?”

Tikki floated up through the skylight.

“Spots on!”

* * *

The first time Marinette saw the view of the city at night from the Eiffel Tower, it had taken her breath away.

But now, something else was taking her breath away.

Maybe, if she was lucky, she’d get to kiss Adrien on every major landmark in Paris.

(Maybe, if she was lucky, she’d get to kiss him every day until she died.)

Well, she’d been lucky so far. After all, her super power was luck.

If she summoned her lucky charm right now, she wondered, what would it give her?

She grinned against Adrien’s lips.

Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

Art by [bugaboo-n-bananoir](https://bugaboo-n-bananoir.tumblr.com/post/612970015287885824/sketch-doodle-dump-inspired-by)

Art by [bugaboo-n-bananoir](https://bugaboo-n-bananoir.tumblr.com/post/631423864370577408/inspired-by-chatnoirinette-s-fic-lucky-were)

**Author's Note:**

> link to 1alchemist's art: https://www.instagram.com/p/CEDNWdFFV9g/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
> 
> link to @bugaboo-n-bananoir's art! https://bugaboo-n-bananoir.tumblr.com/post/612970015287885824/sketch-doodle-dump-inspired-by


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